Rating: 
Summary: An Excellent Read
Review: As far as Star Wars novels go this is certainly one of the best. Author Timothy Zahn has long been a fan-favorite and with good reason. His style is very true to the excitement and mild-humor of the movies. The plot holds to the B-movie standards that the series is based within, but that isn't a complaint. In the end this is just a fun book to sit down with and read - and at close to 700 pages you'll spend plenty of time with it. Perhaps the best thing I can say about this book is that even when I finished it I found myself wishing for more.
Rating:
Summary: I would agree - the best ever
Review: You may get tired of hearing that Vision of the Future is the best Star Wars book ever - but maybe you should just read it for yourself. (spoiler - as if you don't know already) I love Luke and Mara together, it's so perfect! I'm not going to say anything about the story here, it would ruin it for you. This book is so good; not only is it the best Star Wars book I have ever read, it's also one of the top five books I have EVER read, right up there with Lord of the Rings. If you only read one Star Wars book ever, read Vision of the Future.
Rating:
Summary: THE best Star Wars book EVER!!
Review: This has to be the greatest Star Wars book to ever be written! Though I do recommend reading Spector of the Past before hand, this one surpasses it and just about anything else that's been written in the Star Wars universe. Anyway, things are really heating up for the New Republic, as the Caamas Document remains maddingly elusive, and the intire New Republic is about to explode into civil war; and the increasing rumers and threats hinting at Thrawn's supposed return aren't helping things. Anyway, this book has a definite plot that is well constructed and understandable, excellent characters and situations, and is just generally a beautiful, well written, satisfying story. However, I do wish we could have been kept in the dark about Thrawn a little longer. I personally loved Thrawn in Zahn's original trilogy, and I was quite dissapointed to find out in the previous book that he hadn't really returned after all. It also got somewhat boring when "we" knew the truth practically from the beginning, but the good guys spend the next 4000 pages hemming and hawing and speculating about it. Shada, I have to admit is a tough and cool female, without having to be a clone of Mara either, though I do agree with another reviewer that she seems a bit like a consolation prize for Karrde. Meanwhile, Luke continues his search for his beloved friend Mara Jade, prompted by a strange and disturbing vision of her in serious trouble, since she dissapeared on a strange planet. However, finding her is easy, compared to the task of infiltrating the strange fortress she was sent to check out... Though this part altogether takes up less than half of the book, it is IMO the most important, and, though it's mostly about Luke and Mara trying to complete her mission on their own, as they both struggle with their growing feelings for each other the book balances action with romance better than any I've seen before. Luke worries (somewhat superstitiosly) that his love would put Mara in danger, being that all his other girlfriends had something terrible happen to them, (like, Callista losing her powers and dumping him because she was jealous, Gaeriel died, Akanah lied, etc) while Mara fears all relationships period since they pose a possible threat to the barriers she's buried herself in, as well as her prized independance. Anyway, it is all very tastfully done, just as I thought relationships between Jedi would develop; more through loving each other mentally than physically, though I can see how this would irritate some people. Fans of Harlequin Romance will not like this book. Right from Heir to the Empire I felt they were destined to be together, and I was thoroughly frustrated by numerous attempts other author's made to hook him up with someone else. Even so, it was still only a question of when he'd come to his senses, and it seems as if he finally has! However, I was very pleased to note that where Luke's relationships with other women seemed stupid and unreal to me, his growing relationship with Mara seemed only that much stronger and substantial. I actually think it's cool. They meet as enemies, on opposite sides of a war, gradually become friends, and then ten years into their friendship, they get stuck on a certain mission together and realize their true feelings for each other, and slowly, tentatively, start to fall in love. Anyway, Mara IS perfect for Luke, since her hard, cynical, yet totally awesome nature is the perfect thing to balance Luke's kind, sensitive, "farmboyish" outlook. This was the first love story I truly enjoyed, and it was actually the love story part I liked the best! This book also stays away from all the truly nasty stuff that usually uccompanies love stories, and generally stays pretty innocent, but without making Luke and Mara look like fifth graders either. I actually found myself wishing Zahn had put in more than he did. (come on, he couldn't write in one more kiss for them?) I also wish that they had included the scene where they tell Luke's family instead of skipping over it. I mean really, it would have been interesting! They leave on a mission as friends and nothing more, and return a month or so later engaged. What would they say? How would Han and Leia take it? How would they explain it to the kids? I'm also thrilled that Mara will finally take advantage of her potential and actually become a Jedi at last. Anyway, if you ever read any Star Wars books, read the Thrawn trilogy for background, and then this one and it's prequel, and feel satistfied that you've pretty much gotten the whole story.
Rating:
Summary: Masterful!!!!
Review: This is the best Star Wars book I have ever read!! It's that simple. Great action, great characters, great stroyline!! Go buy it right now!!!
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable Series
Review: You can't go wrong with Zahn. I like his writing style and his story telling ability. He fills you in on all the details needed to understand the characters, motivations, and all the nuances of the plot including underlying political consequences to the New Republic/Empire at ever stage of the story. At the same time, he also keeps you deeply engaged with suspense, action, and intrigue. He also captures the spirit of all the characters from the movies in such a way that the jokes, sarcasms, and exclamations expressed seem consistent with the on-screen characters. When 3PO yells "Wait Mistress Leia!", you almost seem to hear his voice because the timing is always appropriate and not just throwing in a line from the movie to make it sound like Star Wars. Some authors (Barbara Hambly) fail at that miserably. The only thing about the series that left me just a little disappointed was that the original Thrawn did not return. But even this fact demonstrates Zahn's maturity as an author by not having to reinvent the same characters over and over. He comes up with a worthwhile twist that is well worth following. After reading the first part, I couldn't wait for the second. Oh, and big thanks to Zahn for resisting the temptation of trying to stretch this out into a trilogy. It is perfect as is.
Rating:
Summary: Best _STAR_WARS_ novel ever written!
Review: The last time I read anything this engrossing, I was reading VISION's prequel, SPECTER OF THE PAST. People, If you skip this one, I pity you with all my heart. Just about every Mara Jade fan like myself loved this book, especially the ending... ;) Zahn is, in the opinion of myself and many others, THE greatest writer of all time. His writing is vivid and eloquent, and the story takes unexpected turns in every chapter. In short, THIS STORY ROX! I have read the book some 3 billion times, and it don't get tiring, folks. Every little detail of the story is worked out, and even the minor things become incredibly important. You have to have read some other Star Wars novels to get all of it, and if you haven't seen the trilogy and The Phantom Menace (none of that sounds too likely), see 'em. You won't get it otherwise, period. But back to what I was saying before about minor details in other novels...if you read THE LAST COMMAND, there is a woman who is mentioned only once or twice, described with half of a sentance, and on the whole, really isn't that important. But in SPECTER and VISION, she becomes one of the main characters. Really, really cool. To the Star Wars fans who have not read this book, here are some real good points: those annoying Bothans are now in trouble (ha ha, Fey'lya, looks like you screwed up ONCE AGAIN!!); Thrawn's back (<voice of TV broadcaster> and this time, he's BAAAAAAAD); That Mos Eisley chick is back (oh, yeah, Mistryl RULE!!);and (drum roll)... our all time fav tough girl is back--Mara Jade! Yeah! The three toughest, strongest characters in the whole story are all women, too-- another great thing, cuz us women rule the galaxy, no denyin. ]};- / (really bad classic corellian smile there.) Before I wander off track anymore, I'll round off just saying this: GET THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you, have a nice day. : )
Rating:
Summary: A VISION I CHEERISH MORE THAN MY OWN.
Review: Timothy Zahn has done it again. Like his first four books, this one is a masterpiece. I became totally absorbed in every word I read, ignoring everything else around me. I had to reread it several times. He uses info from his previous books in this story. I love this book. The characters, the machines, the new love, the ending, it is excellnt. Everything is explained and examined without going into to much detail. If you have any liking for star wars, then you must read the books Zahn has written, Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, The Last Command, Specter of the Past, and Vision of the Future. Trust me. You will not be dissapointed.
Rating:
Summary: Zahn's da Master!!
Review: This book rules.With a amazing storyline and concluding ending this book is something of a masterpiece.This is Zahn last SW novel and almost certainly his best(THE LAST COMMAND comes close).The storyline follows on from the first part in Zahn's Hand of Thrawn duology if you haven't read spectar of the past this will brief you, Moff Disra has found a Thrawn lookalike named Flim,then gains the trust of a former Royal Throne room guard (for Palpatine) Tierce who is a marvelous stratigist,then Disra combines Flim's looks and Tierce's skill to make the galaxy think Thrawn has returned. The Vision of the Future plot is that Mara Jade has disappeared so Luke sets out to look for her in the unknown regions,look out for a bit of unexpected romance meanwhile Leia,Talon Karrade,Han Solo,Lando and leia's loyal Noghri set out to find a copy of the Caamasi document to prove that the Bothans weren't responsable for a mass genocide before the whole New Republic erupt into a civil war.This book is the last Bantam BOOKS SW book and their BEST!!! LONG LIVE TIMOTHY ZAHN!!!
Rating:
Summary: ZAHN COME BACK, COME BACK!!
Review: I absolutly loved this book. I first started reading Zahn's books 3 weeks ago and since then I've read about 5. He is the best Star Wars author that I've read, and trust me I've read tons of Starwars books. I love the twist that he puts in every book. This book starts out a little after the sequel with Admiral Pellaeon still waiting to be contacted about a peace treaty. It goes on with trouble still rising at Bothawui and a Imperial sabatauge team taking down the planetary shields. Mara and Luke are still on the strange planet and have discovered weird things. Han is in many places just goning around. Leia is doing the same thing tying to help everyone. Some clones are found but they don't want to work for the Empire instead they help Han and Leia find the Imperial HQ. Everything in this book is about finding the Caamas Document and eventually one is found but not by who you think. The Imperial plot to distroy the massing fleets over Bothawui is discover and distroyed. And the Hand Of Thrawn is found. The interesting twist is with Mara and Luke but to find that out you have to read.
Rating:
Summary: Tie it all together!
Review: This book was great! It had all the excitment of the others! (please do not read the following reveiw if you havn't read Spector of the Past). This book takes up presisly were the last one left off, but before the bad things get better, they get worse. Before Leah and Han can do anything about it, the Rebublic begins practicly a Civil War! Before Luke and Mara can discover the Camaas Document they are attacked and half drown! I won't tell you the ending to all these calamities, because with this book if you don't know the outcome you can never put it down!!!! This one has been my favorite out of the Hand of Thrawn and the Grand Admiral Thrawn series. Oh and if you are one of those poeple who thought Luke and Mara should get married....I won't say ANY more! :) Please read this book, you won't be dissapointed!
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